


A Broken Toy

by mcmeme



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Anal Sex, Dark, Dark Keith, Dark Shiro - Freeform, Double Penetration, Forced Crossdressing, Hunk owns a bakery, Kidnapping, M/M, Multiple Orgasms, Murder, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Omorashi, Overstimulation, Possessive Behavior, Protective Hunk, Rape/Non-con Elements, Rough Sex, Serial Killer Keith, Serial Killers, Sex Toys, Stockholm Syndrome, Unhealthy Relationships, Virgin Lance, Watersports, allura is a detective, but unhealthy, cop shiro, detective kolivan, forensic nurse lance, he’s new, lotor is a detective, shklance - Freeform, stalker Shiro, the only healthy ship is hance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-20
Updated: 2019-02-26
Packaged: 2019-06-05 11:55:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 12
Words: 19,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15170225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcmeme/pseuds/mcmeme
Summary: Lance is a new grad, just having snatched a forensics job at the Altea Police Department. Though he’s a fresh face, he’s quite skilled, and is assigned to the case of a serial killer known for his brutal murders. Little does Lance know that this serial killer is much closer than expected.or,the one where a naive Lance gets much more than he bargained for when he becomes acquainted with a hot police officer and his antisocial boyfriend.





	1. Chapter 1

Lance was a normal twenty two year old. He just finished schooling for the job he wanted, he had that special someone in his heart, and his life was just starting to get on track. However, because of his own stupid choices, he was stuck in an unpredictable life or death situation.

The Cuban male blinked back tears as he slammed his bound hands down on the metal interior of the trunk he was stuck inside. 

“Help me!” Lance screamed. “Help me! Help me! I’m stuck in here!” But, he knew there would be no response. After all, the car was driving. Who would be able to hear them? 

Lance began to sob, ultimately giving up on making as much noise as possible. Fear filled him when the car came to a halt, and he heard one of his kidnappers exit the car. The trunk opened, light streaming in and nearly blinding Lance. 

“Damn,” his kidnapper grinned sadisticly. “We’re gonna have to teach you how to keep that pretty mouth of your’s shut.” 

Lance could do nothing as he was grabbed by the hair, and he felt a sting as a syringe was forced into his neck. Then, his eyes drifted shut and the trunk was slammed close, leaving him to succumb to the darkness.

 

* * *

 

**A FEW WEEKS AGO ...**

Lance yawned, his mouth wide open as he leaned back in he wooden chair he was seated in. His blue eyes sparkled when Hunk approached the small table he was at, a fresh croissant and cup of coffee in his hands. 

“Aww, Hunk, you’re the best!” Lance exclaimed, sitting straight up when the scent hit his nose. “ _Mmm_ ,” the smaller almost moaned when he bit into the warm croissant, chocolate spilling into his mouth. “Have I said that you’re the absolute best?”

Hunk rolled his eyes, taking a seat in front of Lance, “You say that every time I give you free food, which is almost _everyday_.” 

“You love me.” Lance grinned.

”I do,” Hunk said softly, an unreadable emotion in brown eyes. His eyes almost matched the color of Lance’s steaming coffee. “Lance, I’m in—“ 

Suddenly, Lance’s phone was ringing. After a minute of hushed conversing, Lance hung up and looked at Hunk with an apologetic look. “I’m sorry,” he said softly. “I know that our coffee sessions are usually longer than this, but the department is calling me in early. They say it’s urgent.” 

“No, I understand,” Hunk smiled understandably at him. Lance was relieved that Hunk never really got angry at him. “Go get ‘em.” 

Lance was already up, taking one last sip from his coffee as he adjusted the bag hanging from his shoulder. He leaned down to give Hunk a small hug before pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. Hunk tensed under Lance’s touch, but of course, Lance didn’t seem to notice— even when Hunk’s dark skin became warm and slightly tinted red. 

“I’ll see you after work,” Lance said. “Love you!” 

“Uh, I love you too.” Hunk replied, but his voice sounded shaky.

 

* * *

 

 Lance arrived at the department just as Allura was beginning to think he was going to flunk on them. But, she should’ve known better.

There was something about Allura that drew Lance to her, and it wasn’t just her looks. She had the looks of an angel, yet something about the hard look in her blue eyes proved to Lance that she wasn’t just a pretty girl that had everything handed to her. She went through something devastating, just as Lance did. Also, despite her angelic looks, she could easily break _anyone_  in half. 

“It took you long enough,” she snapped at Lance, dragging him into the the building with sheer force. “We need you at a murder scene _now_.” 

“Now?” Lance could feel sweat forming along his forehead. “I’ve only been working here for a few days. All I’ve been doing is paperwork.” 

Allura gave him a flat look, “Look. You _are_ the top graduate of Altea University’s forensics program, aren’t you?” 

“Yeah, but—“

”Then, prove it to us,” the female said. “We didn’t hire you just to do paperwork.” She waited for any opposition from Lance, pleased to receive none, “Officer Shirogane will be escorting you. Gather your tools, then meet him outside.” 

“Officer Shirogane?” Lance perked up at the name, nearly drooling at the thought of the hot police officer.

Shiro was so fucking hot that it wasn’t funny. He was perfectly built, his hair was simply adorable, and he had the most charming smile that could make some one melt.

“Lance.” Allura said his name, snapping him out of his stupor.

”Uh, on it!” Lance said with a dumb smile on his face, rushing out of the building once he had his things ready. There, Officer Shirogane was waiting on the hood of his cop car, true to Allura’s words. He waved at Lance, and the Cuban simply waved back.

Lance tried his best to keep his eyes off of Shiro during the entire car ride. However, the way Shiro’s muscles pushed against the thin material of his uniform didn’t help matters. 

“Lance,” Shiro began. “I hope you’ve seen these kind of things before. The Galra isn’t exactly _clean_.” 

“I know.” he responded quickly and quietly. His cheeks were heating up at the attempt of small talk, and fuck, Lance was honestly wondering if Shiro was taken. His queries came to a rest when his blue eyes settled on a picture hanging from the rearview mirror. Ah, there was his answer. Shiro looked happy with his arm around a violet-eyed male. They were both gorgeous. 

Shiro seemed to have noticed Lance’s staring, “Ah, that’s Keith, my boyfriend of three years. Handsome, isn’t he?”

Lance chuckled nervously, “Uh, do I have permission to say that he’s beautiful?”

“Yes you do,” Shiro chuckled as well. “Though, Lance, you aren’t too shabby yourself. Do you have a special boy or girl waitin’ for you at home?”

”No,” he shook his head. “I haven’t really thought about relationships.” 

Shiro made a noise of contemplation before letting the topic rest, pulling into the entrance of the woods. Bright yellow tape was wrapped around tree trunks, blocking off the entrance to civilians. Lance braved himself for a gory mess, and a gory mess is what he received. Flashing red and blue lights only seemed to make the scene even more horrifying. 

Branches snapped beneath Lance’s feet as he stepped closer to the dead victim, clutching his bag close to his chest. There was _so_ much blood, and—

“Lance!” Suddenly, Shiro’s voice was heard, and his strong arms were holding the blue-eyed male up to keep him from falling. “Hey,” the officer sounded concerned. “You alright?” 

“Are you fucking kidding me?” another voice piped in, and Lance realized that it was Detective Kolivan, “Please, don’t tell me Allura sent this newbie. Look at the kid; he can’t even stand up!” 

Lance looked down in shame, “I’m sorry. I just—” 

Kolivan scoffed, “Save it, just get to it.” 

Nodding, Lance gulped nervously and slipped some gloves on. He crouched down to get a better look at the corpse. _Warm, but pale_. The unidentified male was killed recently, only dying due to blood loss. At least, that’s what it seemed like. Lance’s gaze then shifted to the many lacerations littering the victim’s pale skin. He lifted the bloodied fabric of his shirt, holding his breath at the sight of his seemingly torn open stomach. Shiro was right. The Galra, as the officer called the killer, wasn’t clean. In fact, he was rather messy. Lance was surprised that the perpetrator didn’t leave behind any traces of evidence. 

“He died recently,” Lance voiced his assumptions. “Cause of death; blood loss.” His eyes scanned the surrounding area for any evidence left over, but found nothing, “The knife he was stabbed and cut with— it has a unique shape. It’s as if it was custom made?” 

Somewhere in the back, Kolivan made a noise of approval. “We need a list of any stores that provide custom knives, and then a list of their customers,” he began. “Shirogane, get to the station. I’ll provide McClain with a ride.” 

The detective inched towards Lance, “Get some DNA samples, and keep those eyes sharp, rookie. _Together_ , we’re going to take The Galra down.” 


	2. Chapter 2

It was a rainy morning, and of course, Lance woke up late and ultimately missed the bus that was scheduled to stop by the police department. So, now he was stuck walking in the rain, like a fucking idiot. His car was in the shop since it had more problems than himself, and he couldn’t call Hunk because he had better things to do. To top it off, Lance did not own an umbrella or any rain-resistant clothes. He was screwed _and_ late for work _again_.

”Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Lance cursed as he slipped his shoes on, grabbing a banana and water bottle to suffice for a missing breakfast. “ _Shit!_ ” 

He practically fell through the open door, slamming it shut as he sprinted past confused apartment neighbors. _The perks of living so close to others— they start to wonder if you’re actually crazy_.

His beat up blue converse hit the pavement quite hard as he ran, causing water from the puddles to splash up on his jeans. Five minutes in, and he was already drenched from the heavy rain. Suddenly his heart began to yearn for Hunk, who would drive him around without any hesitation. But, Hunk was busy, and Lance was beginning to feel pathetic for not being able to do simple stuff without his best friend. And, like the pathetic man he was, his eyes began to tear up. Lance was thankful for the rain that masked his tears.

”Lance?” Suddenly, someone was shouting his name over the roar of the rain. 

The Cuban male looked up from his soaked shoes, only to find a police car pulling in front of the curb he was sulking at. The window was rolled down, revealing Shiro’s familiar and friendly face, “What’re you doing out in the rain? Hurry, get in or you’ll catch a cold.” 

“Your car,” Lance sniffed, trying to remove any evidence of him crying. “I don’t want the water to get on your seats.” 

Shiro chuckled, “Trust me, Lance, I‘ve had to deal with liquids much worse than _water_.” 

Lance was hesitant at first, but ended up climbing in and succumbing to the immediate warmth. Little droplets of rain trailed down his face, mixing in with his tears. He looked away from Shiro when the officer shot him a worried look, hoping he wouldn’t suspect anything.

”Hey,” the police officer said, bringing a sudden hand to Lance’s face. He wiped away a trail of water with the pad of his thumb. “Don’t ruin your pretty face with tears.” 

That had Lance doing a double-take, mouth wide open at the compliment. 

“I‘m sorry,” Shiro laughed awkwardly, pulling into the main road. “Was that weird?” 

Lance cleared his throat, keeping his blue eyes on everything but the cop beside him. “No, I don’t mind being called pretty,” he sent the other a shy grin. “But, I thought those kinds of compliments were reserved for your dearest back at home.” 

“My dearest wouldn’t mind,” said Shiro. “He’s not the jealous type.” 

“I find that hard to believe.” Lance snorted, the tear tracks on his face finally dry.

Shiro arched an eyebrow, “What’re you trying to say? That I attract crazy?” He shook his head, smirking when Lance gave him a slight nod, “Joke’s on you; _I’m_ the crazy one.” 

“Alright, officer.” Lance chuckled, taking the moment to settle his soft gaze on Shiro once they were at a red light. Keith really was a lucky man, to have someone as beautiful as Shiro. Lance just wanted to reach out and glide his fingers along the man’s jawline, to thread his fingers through the unusual puff of white hair that he possessed, to have his own smaller frame shaking beneath Shiro’s nicely-built frame— and, _oh god_. But, then again, Keith was dropdead gorgeous as well. The couple was lucky to have each other, Lance supposed.

They arrived at the station in no time, all while Lance spewed useless information at Shiro whenever his favorite songs played on the radio. Shiro also had to enoire ridiculous questions that Lance couldn’t help but fire at the male.

As Lance began to unbuckle himself and step out of the car, Shiro stopped him with an iron grip on his wrist. 

“Uh, yes, Shiro?” Lance prodded, looking at the other with wide curious eyes.

”Your clothes are still soaked,” he noted. “Here, I’m pretty sure I have some extra clothes in the back.” 

Lance was quick to assure him that he was fine, “I’m going to be wearing a coat anyways, so it’s okay!” 

But, his words fell deaf upon Shiro’s ears, who already had a sweater and pants in his arms, “These are Keith’s— he’s smaller than me, but these might be a bit big.” 

“Shiro, you really don’t have to.” Lance insisted, but Shiro was persistence, making it a point to walk over to the passenger side and undo one button of Lance’s shirt. 

“Woah,” Lance was quick to stop him. “I can undress myself!” 

The officer smirked, “That’s what I thought.” 

 

* * *

 

The next week flew by easily and drama-free, despite the weighing stress that was placed upon Lance’s shoulders. Allura and Kolivan were on his ass 24/7 about the case of the Galra, though there wasn’t much he could do since the killer _never_ left any evidence behind that could lead to him. Lance swabbed each and every inch of the latest victim, hoping he could find at least the tiniest bit of DNA from the killer. As expected, there were no pleasurable results.

Shiro was nice and occasionally stopped by the lab to give Lance an encouraging pep talk. On a few days, he even took Lance out during his lunch breaks. Shiro paid for their meals, and Lance was more than grateful.  

Hunk was the usual sweet man, still giving Lance free breakfast and coffee. However, Lance actually paid Hunk back for once in his life after much of the larger male’s refusal.

This peaceful week was interrupted with a chaotic one. The Galra struck again, this time making the placement of the corpse in a place much more noticeable than the woods— _in a park_. The thought of a child catching a glimpse of the scene was disturbing to Lance, and it almost made him tear up imagining the trauma they’d go through. _Just as he did_.

”This victim has been missing for over a week,” Allura stated, stepping over the yellow tape and urged Lance to follow. “The Galra acts fast. Unlike any other of the victims, it seems as if he took more time with this woman.” 

Lance followed after her, holding his breath as the victim’s body came into view. The officers around her were quick to place a cloth over her body to avoid onlookers from seeing it.

”Please, back away,” Lance heard Shiro pushing back curious civilians. “This is a crime scene.” 

Because of the location of the body, they were forced to haul the body back to the station in the lab. Of course, before they left the park, Lance made sure to perform a thorough sweep of the surroundings. He collecting some blood samples, but no doubtedly, they most likely belonged to the victim.

In the lab, Lance unveiled the body, staring in shock at how beautiful the victim actually was. Her blue eyes were haunting, resembling a dull river that has lost its power. Lance couldn’t bear to see it any longer, her empty stare now etched into his mind. With a gloved hand, he shut her eyes. 

Lance determined that she was killed recently, due to the fact that her body was laying in the middle of a park. He brushed her long brown hair from her face, examining bruises that littered her tanned skin. His gloved finger brushed over one purple splotch, confused as to why the Galra decided to try a new technique of harm. Usually, he’d stick to leaving scars and marks with his unique blade. It was also unusual for the killer to keep his victim for a week.

There were signs of torture locating all along the victim’s body, such as burn marks and scars along with the fading bruises. Some marks looked newer than others. 

 _Bingo_. Upon examining the victim’s mouth, Lance spotted blood on her teeth. It could’ve belonged to herself, but most likely, it could’ve belonged to the perpetrator. He took a step back once he gathered a sufficient amount, shrieking in shock when his back hit a solid surface.

”Shiro,” Lance huffed. “Seriously, you have to let a man know you’re all up in his space instead of scaring the shit out of him.” He glared at the officer, “What’re you doing in here anyways?” 

“Checking up on you,” he responded, eyes flickering to the sample in Lance’s hand. “Found something good?” A huge grin broke out on his face.

Lance copied Shiro’s action, “ _Extremely_ good. I found some blood on the vic’s teeth, and I’m 80% sure it could belong to the murderer.” 

“Ah, I see,” Shiro’s voice was even, _strangely calm_. “If you want, I could run that to the testing room.” 

“I’m good,” Lance said, his smile growing impossibly bigger. “I see what’s going on. You’re curious as well, and can’t wait for results?” 

Shiro chuckled, “You read my mind.” He stepped closer to Lance, “But, I always thought that you needed a break. After all, you’ve been up since 5:00 am.” 

“You’ll make sure to drop it off and run tests?” Lance prodded, “I don’t want to burden you.” 

“You’re not,” Shiro insisted. “You’ve been working hard. You can trust me.” 

Lance laughed, handing Shiro the sample, “I know I can trust you, silly.” 

And, with that, they went separate ways.


	3. Chapter 3

“Shiro.” Lance stopped by Shiro’s desk the next day, an excited smile on his face as he awaited for the officer to be done with his current work. The Cuban male just _knew_ he discovered something important that could definitely lead to the identity of the Galra.

The older man took a moment to straighten a stack of papers on his desk before giving Lance his undivided attention. Before Lance even spoke, a look of rememberance flashed in his grey eyes. “Right,” he chuckled breathlessly. “That DNA sample you gave to me, right?” 

Lance nodded, reaching his hand out for the results. 

Shiro handed the objects to him, “Unfortunately, it was just the victim’s own blood.” 

“What?” Lance’s voice sounded frantic and confused as he scanned the paperwork, a wave of disappointment crashing over him when he saw that Shiro was not lying, “That _doesn’t_ make sense.” 

“How so?” Shiro continued, “She could’ve bit her tongue, lip, or any other part of her body. It’s not that hard to get blood in your mouth.” 

“But, there were no bite marks on her body or in her mouth!” the words escaped Lance’s lips a bit louder than he intended, causing others to look at him with wide eyes. His face heated up in embarrassment, piping down as he continued to speak to Shiro, “Are you sure about these results?” 

Shiro sighed heavily, “ _Yes_.” He went on before Lance could retaliate, “You know, maybe she was punched so hard that she was spewing blood for days.” _Then_ , he had the nerve to laugh, “Like a human fountain.” 

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Lance scoffed, “You’re laughing. This _isn’t_ funny or something to laugh about, Shiro.” 

“Hey,” he tried to calm Lance, placing a hand on the other’s shoulder. “I didn’t mean it like that.” 

Lance was quick to slap away Shiro’s obviously injured hand roughly, sending the man a glare, “Don’t touch me.” With a huff, he turned around sharply and was out of the room.

 

* * *

 

The first thing Lance did when he got home was collapse onto the couch, allowing his bag to slip carelessly from his hand onto his carpeted floor. He’s had a rough week and an even rougher day, and it was all because of _Shiro_. The man was frustrating him, and he didn’t even notice. He had Lance on a rollercoaster of emotions, from happiness to shyness to anger to disgust. But, Lance also felt guilty for blowing up at Shiro like that. Kolivan joked about cases all the time, yet Lance didn’t seem to care. Maybe it was because Lance actually _felt_ something for Shiro. And, it was so wrong because Shiro had a boyfriend at home. 

However, Lance wasn’t the only one at fault here. He blamed Shiro as well. The officer just couldn’t stop touching him, complimenting him, taking him out for lunch, and sending him the most charming smiles. He didn’t want to sound cocky, but he was _sure_ Shiro was into him. But, for some reason, Lance doubted that his feelings for Shiro were genuine. 

The sound of the doorbell had Lance rolling off his couch, opening the door breathlessly only to reveal Hunk.

”Hunk?” Lance tilted his head at the bright-looking male, wondering why he showed up without any notice. It’s not like he minded, but Hunk was _Hunk_ , and he always asked permission for everything, “What’re you doing here?” 

“What am I doing here?” Hunk repeated, pulling out a variety of snacks, “Movie night! You know, when we watch movies every Friday. We _have_ been doing this for years now. You said we could meet up at your apartment for tonight.” 

“Movie night,” Lance wanted to punch himself for forgetting. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry.” 

Hunk let himself in, gently shutting the door behind him as he looked at the stage his friend was in. “Lance,” his voice was soothing to the other’s ears. “Hey, it’s alright. There’s no need to be so upset.” 

 _Fuck_ , Lance was actually crying over this. He was awfully sensitive these days, probably due to stress. 

“You’ve been overworking yourself,” Hunk continued as he led them both to the couch. “I’ve told you—”

Lance interrupted him, “It’s not the work, Hunk!” 

“Then, what is it?” Hunk asked calmly, despite Lance’s snappiness.

” _I don’t know_ ,” Lance dragged out. “I’m trying my best not to ruin a three year long relationship, and the latest victim reminds me of _her_ , and I can’t even do shit to find this killer.” 

“Veronica.” 

Lance bit his lip at the mention of his older sister. Veronica was the best sister he could ask for, but she was taken from him way too early. She was only eighteen when she murdered, Lance only being eleven. Just like the latest victim, Veronica was beautiful, with soft blue eyes and the silkiest brown hair. In some ways, Lance resembled Veronica now, and he got neverending comments on the resemblance from his family members.  

Hunk’s arms were around Lance, pulling him into a warm embrace. “Please, don’t beat yourself up over this. Allura actually came by the cafe today and told me what a diligent worker you are. As for this Shiro guy,” his tone grew grim. “Steer clear of him. He doesn’t seem right.” 

 _Doesn't seem right?_ Lance was frustrated at Shiro for confusing him, but perhaps Hunk was taking it too far. “He’s... fine.” But, even Lance’s voice cracked in unsureness. 

“Okay, enough of that,” Hunk hushed Lance, starting up the movie. He stood up from the couch, which made Lance whine at the lack of warmth. “Relax, I’m just preparing the snacks because you have absolutely nothing in this _apartment_ of your’s.” 

Hunk came back moments later, and Lance took his rightful spot in the male’s arms. Sure, Shiro made him feel one sort of way. But, Hunk made him feel entirely different. Yet, he couldn’t quite place his finger on it. 

“Hunk, did you seriously choose _La La Land_?” Lance complained, “I seriously don’t want to cry _again_. I’ve been doing enough of that.” 

“I’m sorry,” said Hunk, though he didn’t sound really genuine. “But, this movie is _great_.” 

They watched the movie in silence for a good forty five minutes before Lance decided to break the silence with a personal thought of his. “Why do movies make relationships look so easy?” he questioned, “I’m hot as hell, yet I’m still a bitter single. I’m beginning to think that I’m never going to get a boyfriend or girlfriend.” He sighed sadly, slumping back entirely against Hunk. 

“Well, I’ll always be here for you.”

Those words caught Lance off guard, and now he was staring at Hunk with wide blue eyes as if he just heard groundbreaking news. His hand tightened around Hunk’s arm, just as his heart tightened at the words— in a _good_ way. Lance swallowed thickly, then laughed it off. A warm feeling was beginning to creep up his face, but he was determined to ignore it. 

Hunk was awkward as well, “Aha, sorry, was that weird?” 

“No, not at all,” Lance assured him. “I’m just happy you said that.” 

“Oh, uh.” Hunk trailed off, a goofy smile on his face.

”Have _you_ ever thought about relationships, Hunk?” Lance asked him, teasingly sticking his face into Hunk’s, “I’m sure you’ve gotten thousands of confessions. You’re as sweet as your cupcakes.” He mimicked kissing noises, which only made Hunk even more flustered.

”No way!” he denied, his tone dying down as he redirected his gaze to the tv screen, “Besides, even if I did get confessions, I would kindly turn them down.” 

Lance arched a brow, “D’you have your eyes set on someone else?” 

Hunk nodded, “Yeah, but I think he’s into someone else.” 

“Who is he?” Lance prodded.

”Well,” the other dragged out. “He’s shorter than me, kind of skinny, but he’s absolutely beautiful. I’ve known him since forever, and I would never dream of leaving him _ever_.” The pad of Hunk’s thumb seemed to have found its way atop of the soft skin of Lance’s cheek, “He has the best skin ever because his beauty routine is only the hardest thing in the world. His eyes are as blue as the ocean, and in a way, _he_ reminds me of the ocean too. Lance, I’m sorry.” Hunk rushedly pilled his hand away, “I know you don’t see me that way, and I—”

Lance cut him off, grabbing Hunk by the shoulders and planting a hard kiss onto his lips. Slowly, it escalated to something more. Their lips moved in sync with each other, and Hunk found himself falling back as Lance took over and made himself a comfortable spot atop of the male. The Cuban couldn’t help but grin through the kiss, because Hunk was so damn clumsy throughout the entire think. Strong hands entangled themselves into Lance’s hair, pulling the man even deeper into the hypnotizing kiss. There was no coming back.

 

* * *

 

It turned out that Hunk had to leave early in the morning to tend to his cafe. He made sure to slightly wake Lance up to inform him of his departure. 

When he woke up sprawled out on the couch, there was a dumb smile on his face and a fuzzy feeling in his stomach. His gaze drifted to the coffee table, which had a paper note on top of it. The note was folded neatly with a heart scribbled messily on the exterior. Hunk must’ve left a little note before he left. 

Lance unfolded it and read it. However, there were only two little words written in it.

 

_i’m sorry :(_

 

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion, and he had no idea why Hunk would feel the need to apologize. Then, it hit him. The other man probably felt guilty for having to leave after doing such an intimate act. _Yeah, that was the usual Hunk_. 

Lance felt light on his feet as he stood up from the couch and shrugged the blanket off his lithe form. It was Saturday, so he had a day off as far as he knew. 

He practically skipped into the kitchen to prepare breakfast, the time on the oven flashing 9:30 am. However, the time wasn’t the first thing he noticed in the kitchen. The first thing he noticed was the cleanliness of the room, and Lance _definitely_ didn’t do any cleaning for the past two weeks. The dishes were cleaned, counters wiped, and the floors were sweeped. A bright grin lit up Lance’s face as he dialed Hunk’s phone number. 

It rang for a while, but Hunk eventually picked up. “Uh, Lance?” he sounded uncertain, but relieved, “Good morning. What’s up?” 

“You know what’s up.” Lance pushed Hunk. 

“The sky?” Hunk joked.

The blue-eyed male rolled his eyes, “ _No_.” He waited a couple seconds to see if Hunk would come clean, but the truth never came out. So, Lance took matters into his own hands. “The kitchen,” he stated. “You didn’t have to clean it up. I definitely would’ve gotten to it today.” 

“Lance,” Hunk sounded lost. “I didn’t clean _anything_ up.” 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I just want to thank everyone for taking the time to give kudos and leave comments. I have to say that it really does brighten my day and let’s me know that people actually do enjoy my writing. I also apologize for any spelling or grammatical errors that are present in my fic. I promise I’ll get down to fixing them. <3

Hunk helped Lance forget about his apartment situation rather quickly. He offered the Cuban a place in his own home, which Lance took up eagerly. This way, Hunk was able to keep an eye on him and Lance didn’t have to worry about any creeps breaking into his house while he was in it. Hunk’s security system was way better than the one in Lance’s apartment, so he felt mostly safe.

As for the case of the Galra, Lance would say that the team was gaining more and more information. They managed to trace the origins of the unique dagger. It belonged to a woman named Krolia, but it was not possible for her to be the killer since she passed away years ago. The murders by the Galra have only started up this past year.

” _Shit_.” Lance groaned as he stared down at his array of papers on the dining table. His gaze drifted to the wall clock, which read 1:15 am. Lately, he’s been skipping out on sleep trying to do _something_ with the little information he was given. One thing he needed to do was retest the DNA that Shiro claimed he took care of.

Shiro still seemed a bit awkwardness to him, but all was forgiven. They talked about it over lunch, and strangely, Lance found that he enjoyed himself. He decided that Shiro wasn’t trying to come onto him, pinning it on his over-friendliness. Lance saw the way Shiro interacted with Keith, and it was very different from how he treated Lance. He could see that the pair was truly in love, and Shiro didn’t seem like the type to jeopardize something _that_ true. 

 _Speaking of true love_ —

A steaming cup of tea was placed on the table in front of him, and two strong arms were wrapped around his waist in an attempt to warm him up. “What are you doing up still?” Hunk’s groggy voice filled his ears.

Lance leaned back against Hunk, hoping the stool wouldn’t tip over as well. “Working,” he told his _boyfriend_. “Go back to bed. I’ll be there soon.” 

“Hurry up. It’s cold.” Hunk complained.

”Then, turn down the AC.” Lance smirked, earning a whine from Hunk. Eventually, he gave into the man’s gentle kisses against his neck and retired for the night. 

Whilst Hunk ascended up the stairs to the bedroom, Lance gathered up his papers and put them back in their rightful folders. He picked up the cup of tea that Hunk brought him, bringing it to his mouth to sip. However, he completely froze when he saw _something_ outside move through the glass sliding door. He held the cup close to his chest as he took a step towards the door to get a closer look of the yard. 

It was dark, so naturally, he couldn’t see much. But, whatever was outside was large enough to trigger the motion sensor lights. The lights flickered off again, which meant whatever was out there ceased its movement. 

His breath was heavy, blue eyes wide as he tried his best to concentrate and look for the smallest bit of movement in the bushes. Lance then attempted to shake away the thoughts. _Maybe his brain was just tricking him because he was lacking sleep_. After all, why would someone be lurking in Hunk’s yard? Nobody in their right mind would have _anything_  against Hunk. He was one of the nicest people on the planet. 

The next signs of movement had Lance’s blood running cold, dropping the delicate cup in his hands. He attempted to run, but ended up falling backwards and crashing into the table painfully. However, his panicked flurry didn’t end there. The masked figure seemed to be staring at him, his body slightly shaking. And, that’s when it clicked. The person was _laughing_ at Lance. Slowly, they stalked towards the clear doors, and Lance screamed as if his life depended on it. His screaming soon turned into broken cries and panicked breaths, unable to focus on anything now.

”Lance?” Hunk. “Lance, what’s wrong?” 

“T-There was s-someone.” Lance stammered, unable to speak clearly due to his labored breathing.

”Calm down,” the older spoke, rubbing soothing circles into Lance’s skin. “Hey, baby, you gotta breathe for me.” 

“He’s gonna kill us,” Lance sobbed into Hunk’s shoulder once he was pulled into a tight hug. “Hunk, I don’t want you to die.” 

Hunk hushed him, “No one’s going to kill us, and I’m _not_ going to die.” He released  Lance, standing up, “Here, I’ll go check it out—” 

“No!” Lance shrieked, “No, Hunk, baby, no don’t do it. Please, _please, don’t._ ”He hung onto his boyfriend’s arm, trying his best to make him _stay_.

Despite the Cuban’s attempts, Hunk managed to break free of his grip and slide upon the doors. He stepped out, and that only made Lance sob harder. 

Hunk came back unscathed, locking the door behind him. He looked at Lance with worried brown eyes, “Lance, it was just a bunny.” 

“No, it wasn’t,” Lance argued. “It was a man! I saw him. You have to believe me. It’s the same person that broke into my apartment.” 

“You’re hallucinating,” the other stated calmly. “It’s almost 2 am, and you haven’t gotten any sleep.” 

Lance exhaled, “ _Hallucinating_.” 

“Yes,” Hunk responded, threading his fingers through Lance’s hair in a comforting manner. “If someone really was outside, then I would’ve seen them. They wouldn’t be able to get over those gates in time unless they were some sort of superhero.”  

“Okay.” Lance calmed, staring blankly at the mess he made on the ground. 

Hunk sighed, “I’ll clean that up. You head up to bed.” 

Lance shook his head, “I don’t want to be alone.” 

He waited there as he watched Hunk sweep up the glass and wipe up the spilled tea, guilt settling down at the pit of his stomach. He could’ve sworn that he saw someone. But, now that he was thinking it over, it did seem unprobable. He just needed sleep, that’s what it was.

Once they were in bed, Lance felt safe in the comfort of Hunk’s arms and the warm blankets. 

“Hunk?” 

“Yeah?” 

“I love you.” 

“Love you too. Now, go to sleep.” 

And, with much difficulty, Lance found himself drifting to sleep. 

 

* * *

 

The next morning, Lance woke up to the sound of Hunk’s light snoring. The digital clock that sat on the bedside table only read 6:00 am. _It was early_ , Lance realized. _Too early to be feeling like utter crap_. He could still feel Hunk’s arms around his waist, holding onto him as if he was a teddy bear. Lance didn’t mind, but he really had to get to the department. 

“Hunk, you have to let go of me.” Lance said softly, giggling when Hunk simply buried his face into the crook of his neck. His breaths tickled and had Lance feeling all jittery. “I’m serious,” the Cuban persisted, attempting to pull Hunk off him. “I need to get to the department early today.” 

“Early? What does that mean?” teased Hunk, placing open-mouthed kisses against Lance’s neck.

”Oh my god, are we doing this right _now_?” Lance asked.

He could feel Hunk smiling against his back, “I don’t know. Do you _want_ to do this right now?” Though, he didn’t give Lance much time to answer, his hand already trailing down Lance’s stomach with fingers teasing past the waistband of his pajama pants. 

“Fuck,” Lance breathed out. “You can’t just ask that while your hand casually slides into my pants.” 

“Oops, sorry.” Though, Hunk didn’t really sound apologetic for once in his life.

Lance whimpered breathlessly when the hand in his pants began to palm his _situation_ through the boxers, leaking against Hunk’s hand. His toes curled in pleasure when Hunk’s hand finally dove into his boxers, grasping the base of his cock rather eagerly and began to slide his hand up and down. “Oh my— _fuck_.” Lance bit into his pillow, breathing heavily through his nose. 

The heat radiating off Lance’s body only added onto the heat of the blanket, causing Lance’s face to flush a pretty pink. 

“Does it feel good?” Hunk asked, mumbling against Lance’s skin.

” _So_ good,” Lance moaned, hands gripping at the sheets beneath him or latching onto the pillow lying beside him. “Keep going.” 

Sometimes, Lance hated how sensitive he was. But, in times like these, he was glad. He continued to pant as Hunk’s hand moved faster, thumb occasionally rubbing at his slit, allowing more precum to leak. The liquid that escaped Lance helped to lubricate him, easing the movement of Hunk’s hand. 

Lance was a panting mess, occasional whimpers and moans being dragged out of him. His fingers twitched mindlessly as his hips began to buck into his boyfriend’s touch. _More, he needed more_. 

“Hunk,” Lance dragged out needily. “I need _more_.” 

“More?” Hunk sounded frantic, “You want me to...” 

“No, not _that_ ,” Lance said quickly. “Like— _I don’t know_.” He huffed into the pillow frustratingly.

Hunk somehow seemed to catch a gist of what Lance wanted, his free hand roaming the blue-eyed male’s chest. Lance exhaled shakily, shuddering when Hunk’s finger brushed across his nipple.

“Is that good?” Hunk whispered huskily into his ear.

”Yes, yes, _yes_ ,” Lance was a begging mess as both the sensation of Hunk’s hand around him and finger tweaking at his nipple drove him over the edge. The slick sounds that resulted from his precum only turned Lance even more. “I’m _cumming_. Oh my god, I’m _gonna_ —“ He broke off into a silent scream as his body shook, hips stuttering to a halt as he released into Hunk’s hand. 

After a few moments of Lance’s heavy breathing in the air, Hunk’s lips were back on his neck, “You good, baby?” 

“I’m great,” Lance responded with a blissed out look on his face, turning to Hunk. “Ah, it’s your turn, isn’t it?” 

“No,” Hunk insisted. “You should shower and get to work.” 

However, his words seemed to have gone right through Lance’s ear. Lance turned himself around so he was facing Hunk, shamelessly gripping at the outline in Hunk’s pants. “Don’t reject me.” he frowned, proceeding to take hold of the hand Hunk jerked him off with. He brought the hand to his mouth, tongue flickering against the cum-covered digits. His actions continued until he finally licked his hand clean, “Ew, I taste gross.” 

That comment seemed to draw a laugh out of Hunk. 

Now, Lance’s original plan was to suck Hunk off until he had nothing left in him. But, the universe seemed to have different plans, the ringing of his phone interrupting their intimate moment. Lance whined and tried to ignore it, desperate to pull Hunk’s pants down. But, Hunk the saint, forced Lance to pick it up. As predicted, it was Allura calling him in early. 

 

* * *

 

It was discovered that the murder weapon belonged to a woman named Krolia. But, she wasn’t the killer because she’s been dead for years, while the murders started this past year. Much to his delight, Allura was able to extract DNA from Krolia. It was quite disturbing, but helpful. However, he couldn’t quite get to testing to the sample until it was near the end of the day. There were way too many distractions earlier, which included Kolivan’s yelling and the bickering between Lotor and Allura. But, Lance couldn’t do much. He was just a newbie in the forensics department after all. 

But, when he did get back to his station, he definitely got right to the sample. He made sure to compare it to the DNA of anyone in the criminal database. He actually doubted there would be any results, but was proven wrong moments later. Apparently, _Krolia_ and a _Keith Kogane_ were related somehow. It was possible that Krolia passed the dagger onto this _Keith_ character.

Lance opened up the Keith Kogane’s files, scanning for any important information. He was arrested for assault, but released only a few days later, which was rather confusing. Assault wasn’t something taken lightly. When his blue eyes drifted to the picture of the ex- convict, his breath got caught in his throat. A familiar violet-eyed male with raven hair was depicted— _Shiro’s boyfriend_. 

With a new burst of curiosity inside him, Lance dug around for the sample that Shiro _supposedly_ tested. He compared both Krolia’s DNA and the unknown’s DNA, sighing in frustration when he saw they were completely different. Then, a thought struck him. 

He held his breath as he ran the tests, feeling sick to his stomach when he caught sight of the results.

The blood found on one of the victim’s teeth matched perfectly with Shiro’s DNA.

With his results, Lance’s immediate reaction was to call Allura, who was the head detective of this case. However, she called him right before he could dial her. He answered her with great urgency, pausing when he heard her speaking first. 

“Lance,” her voice sounded grim. “We need to meet at my house. I have information regarding the Galra, and I need to talk to you about it.” 

Before he could answer, she hung up. So, Lance made a decision to print out everything he discovered. And, with that, he was speeding off to Allura’s home. 

He arrived rather quickly, and the sun was setting. Lance sent Hunk a quick text, telling him that he might be late for dinner. Hunk texted back with a simple acknowledgment. 

Lance held the folder tight against his chest, as if he was protecting the world’s most important documents. He pressed the doorbell, listening to the chimes as he waited. However, no one came to the door. He pushed at the button once more and received the same response. So, he resorted to knocking. Still, she didn’t answer. Lance gave Allura five more minutes before trying the door handle. To his surprise, it twisted and granted him access. 

“Allura?” he called, peeking into the house, not wanting to invade her privacy, “I’m coming in.” From his position, he could smell the wood of a fireplace. 

Softly, he shut the door behind him as he walked in. He wasn’t prepared for the image that flooded his senses once he entered her living room. 

“Allura!” Lance said in alarm, hurriedly slamming the folder of papers onto the coffee table. She was laying deathly still on her carpeted floor, blood seeping from a wound on her head. He crouched down to examine her, gently caressing her light locks that were stained with red, “Hey, stay with me, Allura!” 

 _She must’ve fallen and hit her head on the coffee table somehow_. 

This theory was quickly disproven when Lance located another source of bleeding— _her stomach_. With horror present in his eyes, he flipped her over, nearly collapsing from shock.

Allura was dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally, I was going to kill off Hunk, but I decided that I loved him too much.


	5. Chapter 5

“It’s so nice of you to join us, Lance. We’ve been waiting,” an all too familiar voice purred in his ear. “Keith was so excited to meet you. He thought you were the prettiest thing he’s ever seen.” 

And, suddenly, Lance was being ripped away from Allura’s body, unwanted arms grabbing him by the waist and carrying him off. The Cuban was able to scratch his captor while his limbs moved around wildly, falling onto the floor with a groan. 

“That wasn’t very nice, sweetheart.” 

“Killing people isn’t nice either, Shiro!” 

Shiro laughed, hand clamped over the claw marks that Lance managed to engrave into his forearm. “The prettiest ones are always the feistiest, aren’t they?” he clicked his tongue, approaching Lance, “That bitch that looked like you tried to take my fingers off with her damn teeth. But, you already figured that out, haven’t you?” 

“You’re sick.” Lance spat at Shiro, inching away from the male. 

”No, Lance,” Shiro responded, crouching down over the other, close enough so he could feel his breathe against his face. “I’m completely healthy.” And, without warning, his foot was coming down heavy against the Cuban’s ankle. 

A scream escaped Lance’s lips as he grabbed at Shiro’s leg, trying to pry him off to no avail. His resistance only caused Shiro to twist his foot down on the joint, a sickening crunching sound as the result along with unbearable pain. He grabbed Lance’s hands tightly, putting them in what seemed to be handcuffs. _Shiro fucking cuffed him as if he was the criminal_.  

“Wow, he does scream nicely.” another person joined the mix, and Lance’s eyes were flickering to the lingering shadow in the doorway. The unidentified male stepped into the room, thumbing the folder that Lance left on the table, “It took me a while to wipe this little shit’s computer.” Without another second wasted, the male— Keith— tosses the documents into the burning fireplace.

”You piece of crap,” Lance growled at Keith. “How could you? Why can’t you be a decent human being and own up to your crimes? You’re both fucking crazy— _fuck_!” Lance broke off in a pained cry as Shiro added pressure to his ankle. 

“What a potty mouth,” Keith said boredly. “Can you shut him up before I _kill_ him? Let’s get out of here quickly; I’m bored.” 

The Cuban’s breath hitched, but he didn’t say anything more. He knew Keith’s threat wasn’t fake judging by the amount of people he’s killed.

”Whats the matter?” smirked Shiro, “Empty of tears? From the amount of crying you did at your friend’s house, I’d think you were completely dry.” 

“It was you,” Lance breathed out. “You were in the yard that night!” 

Shiro winked, hand softly caressing the locks of hair behind Lance’s neck, “You’re so smart. Now, don’t forget that I still know where that pansy lives. So, don’t tempt me to end him.” 

“Why?” Lance gulped at the contact, “Why are you working with a killer?” 

“Because, I love him,” Shiro said normally, breath tickling Lance’s cheek. “He loves it when I bring him new toys to break. And, the victims? They’re so fucking easy to lure in. But, you’re something else, Lance. At first, we were just going to keep you for a few days. _Now_ I think that you need some _extra_ breaking.” He placed a gentle kiss on Lance’s forehead before his hand tightened around his brown strands of hair, “This may hurt a little.” And, before Lance could ask what would hurt, his head was being slammed against the hard wood floor. _Once, then twice_ , until his vision swam and his consciousness wavered. 

The last thing he registered was the drag of his body against the floor before his head lolled over, and his body went limp.

 

* * *

  

Lance woke up with a gasp dying in his throat, body sagging in relief when he felt himself being drowned in the warmth of blankets. _He was okay_. He was home, with Hunk, and everything would be okay. Though, he had to admit that he had one _crazy_ dream. 

He sat up in bed, something tickling and pulling at his wrist. Looking over at the source, a wave of horror washed over him. _It wasn’t a dream_. His neck stung, and he still felt a bit drowsy. _Drugs_. They sedated him on the car ride when he started to get too noisy. 

One of his hands was cuffed, while the other was attached to the headboard. It gave him so mobility, but he wasn’t quite able to get more than few inches away from the bed. “Someone help me!” he yelled at the top of his lungs, squeezing his eyes shut in frustration when he realized no one would come.

_Someone was going to save him. Hunk would notice he’s missing, and then the police force would get on it. Then Allura—_

Allura.

The top detective was dead, and it was partially his fault. Shiro and Keith used her as some sort of bait. If Lance warned Allura about Shiro’s unusual behavior, maybe she would’ve been alive still and he wouldn’t be in this crappy situation. 

He looked down at his body, seeing that Shiro or Keith took the liberty to change him. His skin crawled at the thought of them seeing him naked. At least they didn’t see him _completely_ bare.

 _But_ , when his hand brushed across his own leg, he knew that the thought could be quickly combatted. He pulled the blanket off his lower body, gagging at the sight. 

“You’re so fucking hot.” 

Lance’s blood ran cold at the sound of Shiro, hurriedly throwing the blanket over himself again. However, Shiro forced the blanket back down, forcing Lance to look at the lacy lingerie he was put into without his knowledge. 

The younger’s legs were bare, only a small portion of his thighs being covered by the oversized baby blue sweater he was currently in. He wasn’t wearing any pants, only light blue lacy panties. On his right thigh was a leg garter, which contained white frills and light blue bow atop of it. He was exposed in front of this sick man, who was taking pleasure in his misery. 

“ _Shiro_.” Lance said, voice shaky as the officer eyed him like he was prey. The pain in his ankle was dull, but it throbbed dangerously as the bed dipped where Shiro sat on.

“I said I would wait, but you look so damn good,” Shiro’s hand grabbed at Lance’s inner thighs, massaging the area with his rough hands. “Your skin is _soft_.” 

Appalled, Lance lifted his leg to kick Shiro, but his attack was quickly stopped. The older male was grabbing his leg so tight that he was sure bruises would remain. “You have such pretty long legs,” he said darkly. “Don’t make me break them.” He released his limb, leaning forward so his low voice could be heard better, “I suggest you behave, unless you want me to bring Hunk’s head on a platter.” 

Lance’s legs went limp against Shiro’s invading touches, not wanting to push his limits. He couldn’t let anyone else die because of him.

”Are you a virgin?” Shiro suddenly asked, and Lance immediately tensed up. He looked away, acting as if he didn’t hear the question.

”I said,” Shiro spoke firmly, grabbing at Lance’s swollen ankle. “Are you a virgin? Tell the truth.” 

Pain and shame burned within Lance as he was forced to utter out an answer, “ _Yes_.” 

“That’s cute,” Shiro chuckled, “You’re lucky. Keith and I won’t be tearing you open tonight. But, trust me, we’ll make your first time unforgettable.” He leaned forward, capturing Lance’s lips in a kiss.

He remained still against Shiro’s trespassing lips. However, when Shiro’s hand gripped his cock through the thin fabric of the lingerie, his mouth was forced open as he gasped lightly. Shiro’s tongue forced its way in, and Lance was rendered useless. He allowed Shiro’s tongue to explore the undiscovered depths of his mouth. The other pulled away, his grey eyes clouded. “I’m going to make you feel so good.” he growled.

”Wait!” Lance exclaimed, grabbing at Shiro’s wrist, “ _Please_ , don’t do this. Not tonight. I— I’m tired.” 

“You’re a good worker, but not a good liar.” Shiro barked out a laugh, pinning Lance’s free hand against the mattress. He lifted the fabric of the blue sweater, going down to take one of Lance’s nipples between his lips. 

A soft hiccup of pleasure escaped Lance’s lips, his body shivering at the sensation. He tossed his head back further into the bed when Shiro’s tongue swirled along the bud, his other hand teasing the neglected nipple. 

“Shiro, _no_.” Lance begged. 

For a moment, the Cuban believed Shiro registered his words. However, his hopes quickly vanished. “Call me _sir,_ ” he demanded. “Starting now, you’re to address as so.” With a smirk, he descended, sliding the panties down Lance’s thighs. Now, he was completely revealed. 

“Let’s not ruin these,” Shiro suggested, placing a kiss along the delicate flesh of Lance’s inner thigh. “They match you perfectly.” Without a second thought, he was taking all of Lance’s cock in his mouth, the hums he emitted sending vibrations coursing throughout the entire member. 

“Sh— _sir_!” Lance cried out, hips bucking up at the unexpected warmth and wetness enveloping his cock. Shiro pushed his hips down, bringing his head up to lick the tip sensually. 

He shuddered at the continuous stimulation to the tip of his dick, eyes rolling back when Shiro’s tongue purposely dig into the slit. 

“Wow,” Shiro spoke, momentarily pulling away. But, his hand took the place of his mouth, and he pumped Lance’s cock a few times just to rise a reaction out of him. “You’re about to bust already?” And, he was back to sucking Lance.

Helplessly, Lance could only lay there and take the stimulation. His mouth was wide open, eliciting shameless moans, free hand grabbing at the sheets to hold onto his sanity. Finally, that warmth was coiling in the pit of his stomach, and he was cumming whilst crying out  _sirsirsirsirsirsir_. Shiro was pulling off of Lance, jerking him off to the orgasm, watching in fascination as the younger spilled all over his own stomach. An amused smile overtook his features when he felt Lance’s cock twitch in his hand, obviously spent. 

 _Legs spread, eyes puffy, mouth open, chest bare, painted with his own fluid, and completely out of it_. Shiro wanted to capture this moment. 

Shiro released Lance’s spent member, pressing a kiss against the tip one last time, making Lance shake. “I’ve been waiting forever to do that.” said Shiro. 

Lance registered Shiro moving away from the bed, before coming back. The officer had a camera in his hands, bringing it up as he had it aimed towards Lance, “Say _cheese_.” 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith Kogane was truly mysterious, and Lance was just unlucky.

_The night sky was beautiful, and Lance often found himself getting lost into the great depths whenever he got the chance. Cool grass beneath him tickled his tan skin, sighing as the unpleasant warmth completely faded away. It was just him, the stars, and the pleasant night air._

_“Are you awake?” Hunk was there too. Lance didn’t mind him there. After all, he was his boyfriend._

_“No,” Lance whined, cuddling further into Hunk whilst burying his face into his chest. “Just let me sleep.”_

_The gentle drag of Hunk’s fingers along the soft brown strands of his hair had Lance sighing sweetly. His fingers moved to his stomach, tickling the skin so goosebumps formed in its wake._

_He wished it could stay like this forever._

 

* * *

 

Lance’s eyes fluttered open, and he was gasping out in shock at the unwanted feeling of _something_ dragging against his skin. It was wet and cold, and he found himself pressing back against the mattress to rid of the sensation. 

“ _Don’t_ touch me.” his voice was chilly, all warning seemingly slipped from his mind.

”I’m cleaning you,” It wasn’t Shiro. “Unless you want to stay covered in your own cum, shut your mouth.” 

The Cuban looked down, seeing that it was a wet cloth _Keith_ was wiping him with. He bit his lip when the other increased the pressure against his stomach, and Lance couldn’t help but imagine the tip of his knife breaking through his stomach. He shivered, becoming pliant against Keith’s touch. Luckily, he didn’t seem to be in the mood to do anything else.

His rough hand brushed against Lance’s leg, eyebrows furrowing for no particular reason. Without another word, he was pulling the blanket up and over Lance’s bare legs. Then, he was leaning over his body, trapping him between his legs and beneath his firm body. 

Keith was quick to end Lance’s thrashing, a surprisingly gentle hold around his bound wrist ceasing the movements, “I’m just checking out your arms— nothing more.” 

Lance complied silently, unnerved by Keith’s strange behavior. This _was_ the infamous Galra, wasn’t it? He was supposed to be tearing Lance apart, torturing him, making him scream until his lungs gave out. But, instead, he was checking his wounds and cleaning him up. 

Keith’s fingers pressed against Lance’s raw skin, making the younger hiss out in pain and curl his body away from the male atop of him. Suddenly, he was off of Lance, sitting at the edge of the bed. “I’ll get Shiro to clean your wrists and bandage them.” 

“Wait!” Lance exclaimed. “Can’t _you_ just do it?” To be honest, Keith scared him less than Shiro, even though Keith was the supposed murderer. It didn’t make any sense to Lance. Though, Keith was acting differently than he did at Allura’s house. He was calm— kind of  _nice_ even.

The violet-eyed male stared at Lance for a few seconds before approaching him again, “I’d have to uncuff you, and I don’t want Shiro to get angry at me for letting you escape. He likes you.” 

Those words made him sick, and Lance could’ve sworn he heard some sort of fear coating Keith’s voice. He pushed any sympathy away, remembering that this man was a killer. “I won’t try to escape.” Lance said, not even believing himself. 

Keith looked doubtful, violet eyes boring into Lance, looking for some sort of falseness to him. Lance’s heart thumped rapidly, a perfect escape plan formulated in his mind. If he could convince Keith, then it’d go smoothly. “Please?” he pushed, and suddenly the other man was breaking to his will, slowly uncuffing Lance. It was as easy as a snap of the fingers, which shocked Lance. 

Almost immediately after the cuffs were removed, Lance overwhelmed Keith with surprise, shoving him away when he hit the floor. He brought the blanket with him as he ran, holding back a gasp of pain when he applied pressure on his bad foot. Keith’s iron grip clutched his good ankle, and Lance retaliated by kicking his captor’s head. Effectively, he was knocked out. But, who knew for how long? 

Lance dragged in a panicked breath, desperate as he threw the bedroom door open. He ran limply to the exit of the house, not taking time to appreciate the rather fine decor of the living room. If he weren’t kidnapped by psychopaths, then he would’ve stayed for a bit. _Shiro wasn’t home, Keith was knocked out, no one was head to stop him, Lance was going to escape, Lance was going to solve the case of the Galra, Lance was going to_ —

Everything around the Cuban seemed to move in slow motion as he registered his fingertips slipping from the brass door handle, not even aware of the strong arms wrapped tightly around his waist that were pulling him away from freedom. 

Finally, sound returned, and everything fell back into place. Lance heard his own shouts and protests of frustration, struggling against the crushing hold around his narrow waist. “Let me go!” Lance demanded, voice harsh as he pounded his captor with his fists, “You fucking sick piece of shit, I hope you rot in jail!” He continued to fire insults at the man holding him, Shiro, until he was tossed roughly onto the sofa. The negative words spilled from his mouth like water, and with each one, Shiro’s expression darkened. Once Lance’s anger simmered down, fear settled within the pit of his stomach. 

“Shiro.” a croak emitted from the distant doorway. Keith emerged, hand pressed against the growing bruise along the side of his head. 

“You got too greedy, Keith,” Shiro said disappointedly, keeping his gaze on the cowering Lance. “Your greed almost cost us our best toy yet. Come on, Keith, I need you to come back to me.” He took a step closer to Lance, “Let’s show our toy what happens when he misbehaves.” 

Keith inhaled sharply, “I don’t want to lose control—“ 

Shiro smirked, “I won’t let it get _that_ bad,” And, suddenly, Keith was by Shiro’s side, slipping a unique-looking blade into the older’s hand. “Thank you, baby.” Shiro expressed his thanks by pulling Keith into a passionate kiss. Lance turned away in disgust. When the couple’s gazes were focused on him once more, he knew he was in deep shit.

”Hold him down, Keith,” Shiro ordered, and his boyfriend complied, forcing Lance’s arms to stay still. Lance kicked out at Shiro, only for the officer to catch his leg swiftly. The edge of the dagger ran across the caramel flesh, a sickening smile on Shiro’s face. “His legs are so long. They’re the perfect _canvas_.” 

The dagger was pressed snugly against his thigh, and Lance braced himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys are amazing! Here’s another update, right as I go back to school! I’m not sure how fast updates will be due to me being a senior in high school now, but I’ll try my best!


	7. Chapter 7

“Shiro, I’m sorry.” Lance begged weakly, writhing against Keith’s solid grip on his arms. His breath caught in horror when he felt a slight sting, most likely from Shiro knicking him with the blade. 

The larger male rolled his eyes, seemingly annoyed with Lance’s voice. “That’s all you do, huh? Cry and beg?” he scoffed, “ _Shiro, no. Please, don’t, Shiro_. You were _raised_ to beg for your pathetic life. Did you beg for Hunk to take you in too? All you’ve got going for you is a pretty face. Couldn’t even do your job correctly.” His words were like venom, stinging Lance as each one flew out of Shiro’s mouth like a curse. “But, you’re lucky,” Shiro continued, barely above a whisper. “You’re lucky that you’re _mine_ , and I’m going to take care of you, baby. In this house, you’ll always be wanted.”  

Now, if Lance were in any other situation where he wasn’t trapped in a confined space between two psychos, warmth would’ve been spilling into him like sunlight— like, _whenever Hunk looked at him with that bright gaze of his_. But, this was Shiro; the same asshole who’s been working with a serial killer and has done _many_ countless things that have crossed the line of sanity. And, from what Lance gathered, Shiro enjoyed every second of it.

“Go ahead, kill me,” Lance was _done_ begging for mercy. “I hope you _rot_ in prison.” 

Shiro snorted, “Oh, wow, Lancey. How original, _not_.” He leaned forward until his chest was nearly pressed against Lance’s his lips were faintly brushing against the Cuban’s ear, “I’m not going to kill you. I _love_ you, and you love me. Say it back.”

Lance snapped, “You don’t love me, and I sure as _hell_ don’t love you!” Despite the obvious clench of Shiro’s jaw, Lance continued, “Shiro, I doubt that you know what love _is_. This isn’t love, helping your _supposed boyfriend_ kill innocent people _isn’t_ love, kidnapping me and _torturing_ me isn’t love. There isn’t a single fiber in your body that knows how to love like a normal fucking person! Never in a million years will I ever say I lo—”

Apparently, Shiro snapped as well. He pulled away from their close contact, dagger digging into the unsuspecting Cuban’s thigh. Lance screamed, Keith’s heart skipped a beat, and Shiro continued. The thin blade only seemed to deepen as Lance’s screams intensified, blood spilling from the wound. The dull ache of his broken ankle was _nothing_ compared to this. “Got anything else to say, sweetheart?” Shiro growled. 

Through heavy breaths, Lance managed to utter, “ _Fuck. You._ ” 

Unimpressed, Shiro began his assualt once more, this time making sure the dagger would slice a horizontal cut into Lance’s limb. The younger’s thrashing turned into subdued movements, eventually dying down to nothing. His screams faded to pained wheezing, unable to control the unbearable agony that engulfed his entire leg. His throat began to burn from the force of his screams. 

The feeling of blood running down his leg made Lance’s stomach twist. It felt like so much, and he was sure that he was losing a copious amount. 

“All done,” After what seemed like hours, Shiro withdrew the blade with no mercy, simply yanking it out without a care. Lance’s thigh quivered. “ _TS_ for Takashi Shirogane.” As he stated the initials, Shiro traced the cuts with the tip of his finger. 

 _This nutcase carved his initials into Lance_.

“Next,” Shiro said, a wicked gleam in his eyes as he cut through the light blue sweater covering Lance’s chest. “It’s a shame; I liked that color on you.” 

Keith piped up, “I can buy prettier ones tomorrow.” 

“Mm, good idea, baby.” Shiro mused, staring intently at Lance’s bare chest. “You really are a twink,” continued Shiro, eyes glazed with admiration and awe, hand roaming the surface. “Smooth and hairless.” His finger prodded at one of Lance’s nipples, causing a gasp to escape his lips. Though, Lance was certain that the immense throbbing caused it. 

It took a few more minutes for Shiro to admire the view beneath him before he was handing the dagger to Keith. “You get to mark his chest,” he informed his boyfriend. “Make sure he feels your claiming deep inside him.” 

And, Keith did. Lance was finally saved from any more pain when he passed out, two sets of initials engraved into his now _flawed_ skin. 

 

* * *

 

Hunk slammed the palm of palm of his hand roughly onto the wooden surface, despite the stinging pain that resounded throughout it, “I want you to start investigating _right now_!” He _never_ used this tone of voice, but it was necessary right now. Lance was missing, and the department was doing nothing. 

“Mr. Garrett— _Hunk_ —” Detective Lotor stammered, “This case is, _well_ , difficult.”

”What’s so difficult about finding my missing boyfriend?” Hunk exclaimed, almost in tears due to frustration, “He could be hurt, dead, or maybe the Galra got him!” 

Lotor attempted to soothe Hunk, “Please, relax.” 

“No,” Hunk retorted. “Look, open up a case now. It’s been _four_ days.” 

“Well, the thing is— we have suspicions about Lance,” Lotor began, and before Hunk could slap him across the face with words, he hit him with the cold hard confession. “We believe he murdered the main detective on the case of the Galra, Allura. She was found dead, briefly after your boyfriend disappeared. The only plausible explanation is that Lance, in fear of being caught, escaped to safety.” 

Hunk laughed bitterly, “Lance would never kill anyone, especially Allura! He talked about her like she was his best friend, or even like she was his sister! Where’s your proof?” 

Lotor’s eye seemed to twitch in irritation, sighing heavily as he dropped his pen onto the desk in front of him. “We found his DNA at the crime scene, sir. Blood on the wooden floor of her home, which no doubtedly belonged to Lance McClain,” he stated coldly. “Now, we will be searching for him, but don’t think we’ll be returning him to you. We’re searching for a murderer, not your beloved victim boyfriend.” The detective stood up, turning sharply to exit the office, leaving Hunk all alone with his thoughts. 

He buried his face in his hands, lack of sleep finally catching up to his body. He was exhausted and hasn’t slept in days, mainly because he was worrying about Lance. When he called Mrs. McClain about Lance’s whereabouts, he nearly had a heart attack when she said he wasn’t home. Marco and Luis had no idea where he was either. Pidge hasn’t talked to him for a week, and Hunk’s heart grew heavy with worry. His cafe hasn’t been open for days either as a result of his grief.

 _Maybe Lance just went on vacation_? That, for some reason, sounded more ridiculous than Lance being a murderer. 

“He’s okay, right, Blue?” 

Back at home, Hunk had no one but the small kitten to comfort him. Lance loved Blue with all his heart, even though they only got her recently. He swore that she was his baby girl and that he’d spoil her until his wallet was dry. Hunk laughed and sarcastically complained about being jealous. Everything was so perfect, and then _this_ happened. 

Hunk really was wishing for Lance’s safety. But, if he wasn’t okay— _no, he wouldn’t think like that_.

He sighed as the kitten rubbed against his calves, causing him to pick her up and place her on his lap. His fingers threaded through her fur, smiling at the purrs that she emitted. At least _this_ could bring a smile to his face. Four days without Lance was starting to take a toll on him. 

“He’s okay,” Hunk said to himself, feeling helpless as tears filled his eyes and spilled. “I _know_ he’s okay.”  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys are so amazing! <3


	8. Chapter 8

“Hunk, you can’t put your life on hold over this.” Romelle’s sweet voice resonated throughout Hunk’s voice, but it was as if heard nothing. All he heard was a distant echo that eventually faded into the nothingness that has been expanding inside his mind for days now. _Lance was gone, and the entire police force believed he was the one who murdered Allura. But, they were wrong_.

Ever since Lance went missing, Hunk hasn’t been opening his cafe or even checking up on it. For all he knew, the place could’ve been destroyed or broken into. 

“I can’t continue until I have closure,” Hunk responded weakly, Blue purring softly in his arms. Lately, it’s been difficult for him to even leave the house. “I _have_ to find Lance.” 

Romelle sighed in frustration and made a face at the male, “You’re going to _kill_ yourself! You haven’t been eating, your fridge is empty, your house is a mess, and you haven’t been sleeping either.” She broke off with a crack, tone sad and quiet, “ _Hunk_ , you’re my friend. I don’t want to see you destroy yourself like this. I miss Lance too, but there are better ways to cope.” Tears began to leak from her eyes, liquid collecting at her long eyelashes. 

“I’m sorry,” Hunk began to join her tear fest, allowing Blue to leave his arms and scamper elsewhere in the living room. This time, he made sure to hold the right person. “I’ve been selfish, haven’t I?” His crying wasn’t as prominent as Romelle’s, which sent waves of pain throughout his chest. But, he held onto her. 

He knew it was horrible of him to do so, but he pretended that the shaking delicate figure in his arms was _Lance_. 

* * *

 

Shiro really didn’t expect Lance to be so _feisty_. Sure, there were times when he acted like a good little toy, but they were mostly overviewed by Lance’s rebellious acts. Consequently, Shiro had to hide his bandaged fingers that resulted from Lance’s animalistic bites. One time, Kolivan even asked Shiro if he was alright and where all these bites were coming from.

“Oh, yeah, I just got a new puppy,” Shiro responded. “He’s really naughty, but I’m working on it. That mouth on him really _is_ something else.”

Kolivan hummed absently, too engrossed in his work to remember that he even asked Shiro a question. He muttered something about the Galra, and Shiro held back a laugh. The joke was on them; the Galra wasn’t just one person, technically. The Galra was two people, though Shiro would’ve preferred to be called the Champion. 

Luckily for Shiro, Keith was the one who mainly did all the dirty look. Shiro would just bring his boyfriend new toys to use break but couldn’t resist when it came to their latest victim— the woman with caribbean blue eyes and tanned skin that looked remarkably like Lance. Shiro remembered her clearly as the first toy who actually fought back and nearly took his finger off with her canines. Immediately after she did that, Shiro snapped her neck, and his hunger only grew. He realized that he _needed_ Lance. _Yes_ , the Cuban was responsible for Shiro’s sudden shift in attitude. The officer wanted to keep him forever, or at least until he completely broke. But, for some reason, Shiro believed that Lance would actually be even more beautiful whilst broken. 

Shiro’s fingers twitched in anticipation, nails digging into the hard surface of his workstation. Since day one, unholy thoughts of Lance flooded his mind. He wanted those long legs wrapped around his waist, pink lips falling open to spill sobs and moans, and blue eyes fluttering as he teetered on the edge of consciousness. Shiro wanted to violate his lithe body until his throat was raw from screaming. 

“Shirogane,” a sharp voice had Shiro jumping up a bit, taking away any tension that was beginning to build up in his cock at the thought of Lance. _Ah, it was just Lotor being his usual cockblock self_. “You don’t get paid to sit around and dream.” The detective then tossed something onto his desk, “Congratulations, you have a new task.” 

Once Lotor walked off, Shiro glanced at the documents. He took notice of a familiar face on one of the papers; it was Lance. So, Shiro had an amused grin on his face, they assigned him to Lance’s missing case. _How ironic_.

Shiro was assigned to questioning people that were close to Lance, mainly to understand why Lance supposedly murdered Allura. Lotor never really was a great detective. Allura was always the more skilled one, and for once in his short life, Shiro felt a hint of guilt for killing her. _Though_ , technically it was Keith who killed her. _Keith, Shiro’s little scapegoat with an unquenchable thirst for blood_. As much as Shiro loved Keith, he certainly didn’t feel bad for taking advantage of the male. Shiro saved him, and Keith essentially gave his whole life to him in return. _What an idiot_.

That’s how Shiro ended up at Hunk’s home. He’s been here multiple times without the other’s acknowledgement, watching Lance in all his glory. 

Hunk eyed Shiro suspiciously, but when Shiro informed him as to why he was there, the door opened slowly. 

“Have a seat.” said Hunk, voice tense as he momentarily disappeared into the kitchen, coming back with a glass of water. 

Shiro complied, watching Hunk as he took a seat on the sofa across from the officer, “ _So_.”

”Lance didn’t kill _anyone_ , if that’s what you’re wondering. He’s my boyfriend, I would know.” 

Shiro felt his hand twitch at Hunk’s words, wanting to reach out and strangle him for claiming Lance for himself. He calmed himself, but Hunk seemed to take notice of the subtle seething and annoyed glances. 

“I’m sure you already know more about Lance’s status than I do, officer,” Hunk tested. “Don’t you?” He seemed to lean forward, as if he was attempting to extract an answer from Shiro.

”There’s not much I know besides him disappearing one night and being accused of Allura’s murder.” Shiro answered. “You claim to be his boyfriend,” he continued bitterly. “Did you notice any strange behavior from Lance before he took off?” 

Hunk glared at Shiro, “ _Yeah_ , I did. He told me some creep at his work kept sending mixed signals and had the audacity to joke about murder. He was scared that someone was watching him and cried a lot because of it. Does _that_ sound familiar, Officer Shirogane?” 

Shiro chuckles dryly, “Sounds like a major case of paranoia, probably coming about due to him working on the Galra’s case.” His fingers itched to grab the gun in his pocket and put a hole in Hunk’s head. That way, Lance would be his forever. 

“That’s all I have to say,” Hunk said flatly. “You can go.” 

The officer gripped the arms of the sofa he was in, bracing himself to stand up, but stopped when something brushed against his leg. It was a small kitten. Shiro reached forward to pet it, but pulled back quickly when it hissed. 

“Feisty little kitty, isn’t she?” Shiro said, finally standing up, “I have a pet back at home, and he’s just the same. He likes to bite, but I make sure to punish him after.” He smirked, “I’m sure you’d like him; he has the prettiest little blue eyes and softest brown fur. You should come over sometime, and maybe I’ll let you play with him.” 


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two little bunnies.

If Hell was a real place, then Lance was definitely already there. The cycle of him waking up to Shiro and Keith looming over his bedside repeated endlessly, and Lance was sure he was on the brink of insanity. Even if they weren’t beside him, somehow he could still feel their presence like a phantom haunting its favorite victim. 

Lance wasn’t allowed to leave the tight confinement of the bedroom, and soon, his mind grew crazy from the same vanilla walls. They seemed to be closing in on him when he focused too hard, and the carpeted floor seemed to taunt him and remind him that he’d never set foot on it again. His wrists were sore from being tied with rough rope for so long, as were his ankles. The pain of the lacerations Shiro and Keith inflicted upon him was even greater. If Lance even moved a centimeter, burning agony would envelop his entire body. _Was there even any hope for rescue?_ Lance was becoming hopeless, but the thought of Hunk kept him conscious. 

Lance didn’t have a clock or calendar, but he was sure that it’s been a few days since Shiro or Keith came by. Usually they’d stop by multiple times a day to feed him or perform an act that Lance disliked but didn’t _despise_. However, the Cuban couldn’t even hear their faint footsteps or whispers that usually were heard outside the room. _Did they abandon him_? 

A feeling of dread engulfed Lance’s chest at the thought of being forgotten and alone in this forsaken home. He didn’t know where he was, and he’d rot here and starve if he wasn’t found. Sickeningly, he longed for Keith and Shiro to come back and assure him that they didn’t forget him. 

“Keith?” Lance called out as he squirmed, whimpering in pain at the movement. 

He wanted to check for the younger male first because he was more favorable than Shiro. Unlike the officer, Keith was somehow _gentle_. Lance knew it was disgusting, but sometimes he leaned into the touch of the raven-haired male and pretended that it was Hunk caressing him. Of course, when he opened his eyes, the illusion was gone. But, still, Keith was nicer than Shiro, even on his worst days.

Lance bit his lip to hold back the incoming sob, “Keith, _please_. Are you there?” 

The male grew frantic, body beginning to fight and tug against his restraints. “Keith? Shiro?” his voice rose with his frustration, “ _Anyone_?” He huffed heavily, throwing his head back to express his discontent. Suddenly, hot tears began to spill down his cheeks and his breathing got heavy. He was _crying_ , and he was crying over his _captors_ , for heaven’s sake.

Rushed hands were brushing over his body— fingers running through his gross hair and soft lips brushing against his in a comforting manner. 

“Lance? Hey, don’t worry,” a man was hushing him. “I’m here.” 

“Keith,” Lance forced out, blinking hazily up at the male above him. Soon enough, his restraints were removed and Lance didn’t even bother to escape. He simply relished the sensation of being in Keith’s arms. “Where were you?” 

“I’m sorry,” he responded, but it didn’t quite answer Lance’s questions. “Shiro said we couldn’t bring you.”

Lance doesn’t question Keith’s statement,  basking the warmth of Keith’s strong arms wrapping around his waist.

Keith continued, “Why?” 

“I,” the Cuban trailed off. “I was alone.” With a heavy sigh, he was shifting his lithe body so his head was laying back against Keith’s shoulder. He didn’t _want_ this. It was better than nothing.

An awkward silence then fell between the two, the only clearly audible sound being the seemingly labored breathing of Keith. A light red hue tinted his cheeks, scattering the pale skin. His gaze seemed to be cast away from Lance, and it looked like it was taking all his willpower to keep his sights off of the male.

A frown painted Lance’s features, and he reached a shaky hand out to softly grab his jaw. With the littlest contact, Lance turned Keith’s gaze towards him. “Look at me.” the Cuban insisted, lips turning up into a faint smile when those pretty eyes were finally upon him. For a moment, he swore he saw a familiar pair of chocolate brown orbs, but the vision quickly faded away into a pool of violet. “Kiss me, please,” the younger practically begged, pulling Keith down by the collar of his shirt. “Touch me.” Lance grabbed hold of Keith’s hand, forcing it between his tanned thighs, brushing against the lacy lingerie he was sporting.

”Oh.” was all Keith said, staring down at his hand as if the concept was foreign.

” _Please_ , sir,” Lance continued, clamping Keith’s hand between his thighs. “I need you.” 

The other let out a shaky breath as his gloved hand began to massage the portion of Lance’s inner thigh, “If that’s what you want?” 

Fondness spread throughout Lance at Keith’s awkwardness. He almost thought it was _cute_. It was as if Keith was a virgin too, and Lance would’ve believed it if he didn’t have _Shiro_ for a long term boyfriend. “I want you.” Lance confirmed.

That was all it took for Keith’s hand to dive under the gauzy material, grasping Lance’s throbbing member. The reaction the younger put on seemed to please Keith, evident by the corner of his mouth that seemed to tug up. With the subtle tug, came the sharp flick of his wrist, which had Lance swallowing back a moan. 

“I know you don’t want me,” Keith stated, continuing the movement of his hand. “That’s what _he_ does— makes you feel like you’re alone until you’re begging to be touched by the man who put you in this hell in the first place.” His suddenly harsh grip on Lance’s cock matched his bitter tone and had Lance crying out in pain. 

“What are you talking about?” Lance asked softly.

”Takashi,” Keith gasped out, voice barely audible as he withdrew his hand. “He did this to me. He turned me into a sick sadistic fuck. And, I trusted him. I _loved_ him.” He sounded broken, yet Lance was still lost.

Lance sat up, covering himself with a blanket as he leaned against Keith’s trembling form, “Are you talking about _Shiro_?” 

Keith’s gaze was empty as he tried to recall every detail, “He _hurt_ me, and he’s going to break you too unless you’re nothing but an empty shell— until you’re just _a broken toy_.” 

Before Lance could ask Keith what in the actual hell he was talking about, the raven-haired male was dragging him off the bed by the arm. Lance yelped, legs giving out beneath him, and he was crashing to the floor after neglecting his legs for so long. However, Keith was there to catch him with a guilty look on his face when Lance hissed at the pain resonating throughout his deeply scarred leg. The letters _TS_ burned like a brand.

Slowly, Keith’s hand went to his own dark shirt, lifting up the fabric to reveal his hip. “He likes to mark his property.” Keith told Lance. 

The same initials were carved into Keith’s hip, and Lance frowned, “You’re a victim too? But, the serial killer— that’s not you?” 

“It _was_ me, it was all me with the help of Shiro,” Keith exhaled. “Shiro wanted me to do it, but I liked it too.” He turned his head away in shame, “I’m not proud of it.” Without another second to waste, Keith was pulling Lance out of the room as best as he could, even supporting him on his shoulder. “I’m getting you out of here.” 

But, all Lance could think about was why Keith’s attitude suddenly changed. He went from being totally lovesick to a victim that Shiro essentially brainwashed. Perhaps Keith was suddenly coming to a realization. Or, it was a trick.

Once they were in the living room, Lance forced himself to stop and weigh down his weight, causing Keith to cease his pace with a confused expression upon his features. “What?” Keith prompted.

”Why are you doing this?” Lance questioned, knowing that escape couldn’t be _this_ easy, “Is this your way of trying to break me faster? By getting my hopes up and crushing them?” 

“Lance, please,” Keith avoided the question. “Shiro’s going to be anytime soon.” 

“Answer me!” Lance demanded, “Is this another sick act you’re doing? I had enough of Shiro’s fake act, and I certainly don’t need _your’s_.” 

Keith groaned in frustration, raking his hands throughout his dark hair, “I want you to leave! If you stay any longer, Shiro might actually kill you!” 

Lance stared, “If I leave, then I can tell the police about you and Shiro.” 

“I don’t care about myself anymore,” Keith admitted quietly. “I just want Shiro to suffer for ruining my life.” 

That had Lance silent, gazing at Keith with a sympathetic look, “Then, why didn’t you get help sooner?” 

“I was like you,” Keith confessed. “He tied me down, forced me to submit, and made me his slave.” His grip tightnened around Lance, “Let’s _go_.”

So, Lance complied, caring less about whether this was a trick or not. Keith seemed genuine, but he didn’t seem stable or reliable. Yet, he still felt sympathy for the male. If he did report the duo, perhaps Keith would be able to receive mercy. 

When Keith unlocked the door and opened it, Lance was expecting to see the image of freedom. But what he saw instead, was Shiro, realization registering in his eyes when he recognized what Keith was trying to do. 

“ _Well_ ,” Shiro’s tone was scarily quiet. “Look at my two little bunnies trying to run away.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, yes, I’ve finally slightly gotten past writer’s block and my busy schedule! Here’s a small update, and I swear I’ll try to write longer chapters in the future.  
> But, anyways, Lance and Keith are screwed.


	10. Chapter 10

Keith never really had anyone. 

His childhood was bland and empty. There were certain days that stood out like a burst of color amongst a sea of greys and blacks, but they were minuscule in comparison to the miserable and colorless moments in his life. 

He grew up without a mother, and for this reason, the house he grew up in was cold and lacked any type of familiar warmth. His father was a drunk who couldn’t help but pin the blame on Keith. _He_ was the one who made Krolia leave, _he_ was the one that drove her away, _he_ was the one that was holding them back. Keith knew his father was wrong. If his mother truly hated him, then she wouldn’t have left him a wrapped knife that was addressed _to Keith_.

The dagger was beautiful and shone prettily under the light of his dim room. It’s handle was a color similar to his eyes, and it seemed to have fit perfectly in his hand. Sure, it was a bit big, but he was certain to grow to hold it perfectly soon.

Keith was a child with great intellect, so of course he kept the dagger a secret from his father. The older man would horde anything that had to do with Keith’s mother, including the notes she left the small boy and photos she left behind.

Whenever Keith would get mouthy, his father would simply beat the smart out of him until he was spewing blood rather than toxic and sharp words. The young boy, at the time, always dreamed of his pretty knife sinking into his father’s chest. From there, he’d twist it until he had the man crying for mercy— just like Keith did whenever he was forced to face the onslaught of abuse. But, Keith never gathered the courage to do so. 

The saddest thing Keith recalled was his teachers discovering the bruising upon his pale skin. Yet, they didn’t do _anything_. They didn’t care enough to help him because he was a troublemaker, and they believed that it would useless to help him. He wouldn’t change— they didn’t _believe_ in him.

 _Abandoned_. That’s how Keith felt, especially after he was kicked out of his home at eighteen. Apparently, his father was tired of lugging around dead weight. Keith hoped that he would drink himself to death or break his neck while intoxicatingly stumbling down the stairs.

Sometimes Keith wondered how his mother would react to his homelessness. Would she confront his father? Take him in? Leave him there to die? Surely, there must have been a reason for her leaving. Keith, in a way, had a gist of why his mother left. But, he held onto the hope that his father was a somewhat decent man before he was born. Perhaps his parents had an extreme falling out. 

It was on a rainy and freezing winter day that the light finally spilled onto Keith’s dark and gloomy life. The light came in the package of a tall and well-built man. He was Japanese and was also quite handsome. A scar was apparent upon his nose bridge; it was a horizontal pink line that seemed to have faded over the years. Keith assumed he must’ve been a veteran, and a very young one at that. This man before him could’ve only been in his early twenties.

”You’re out here all alone in the icy rain?” the stranger asked with a confused glance, black umbrella twisting in his hand. The parasol was positioned above Keith, blocking any droplets from splashing onto his shivering form.

The young man continued, “You shouldn’t be sitting out here. You’ll catch a cold, and there are some bad people that roam the streets. Head home— I’ll even escort you.” 

Keith simply shook his head, looking down sadly as the excess rain on his hair dripped down onto his face and collected at the tip of his nose. It seemed that was all it took for the stranger to understand.

”You don’t have a home,” the older male stated, a struggle in his voice as he attempted to understand Keith without any words from him. “You really _are_ alone. You have no one.” 

Then, there was silence, minus the sound of the pouring rain.

”I’m Takashi Shirogane.” 

Keith stared blankly at the tall man.

“Let me help you,” Takashi continued to speak. “Food, money, clothing, I’ll provide you with it.” 

The violet-eyed male glared at Takashi, “I don’t need help.” 

Takashi’s beautiful grey eyes seemed to have light up at the sound of his voice, “So, you do talk. Let me help you.”

Keith huffed as he stood up, ready to find another place to sit until he rotted away and disappeared, “Look, Takashi, I don’t need your pity or help.” 

“No one said anything about pity,” Takashi told Keith with an arched eyebrow. “I just want to help you.” 

“I don’t need your help!” Keith growled, too stubborn to accept help from a stranger. He truly didn’t want it either. He’d rather waste away with nothing than get attached to someone who’d end up abandoning him. 

Takashi’s bright smile seemed to have shifted into a dark smirk, “You don’t need it. You _want_ it. I know you’re angry.” 

“What?” Keith took a cautious step back.

”That dagger in your bag,” the man gestured to the handle sticking out of a frontal pocket. “You’ve been dying to use it.” 

Keith narrowed his eyes, “You don’t know shit about me.”

”Trust me,” Takashi went on, taking a step towards Keith. “I _was_ you. Abandoned by your parents? Let me guess— Daddy kicked you out, and he made sure to beat you plenty times before that, just to remind you that you’re nothing but a broken and empty shell. Useless, that’s what he called you, didn’t he? And, your mother— she wasn’t there at all. She wasn’t there to defend you, and for that, you resent her.” Suddenly, Takashi was close, cupping Keith’s face with his warm hand, “I can smell your thirst for blood, gorgeous.” 

“It’s Keith.” 

“What?” 

“My name is Keith.” 

 

* * *

 

Lotor sighed heavily as he looked upon the scattered documents on his desk. He’s probably gone through a million boxes to narrow down suspects, yet he had no conclusion. However, today was a different day. 

“What is the meaning of this?” Kolivan began, picking up a document labeled _Kogane Murder_.

”Just doing extra research, sir.” Lotor muttered as he looked at the contents of the case.

Kolivan rolled his eyes, “Oh really? Then, what have you concluded so far?” 

Lotor looked at the older detective, eyes fierce as his hair messily fell from the loose bun it was in, “Two, not one.” 

“Excuse me?” the older asked Lotor, voice gruff as his tone struck confusion. 

“There are two murderers.” Lotor continued as he stood up from his chair promptly. 

Kolivan’s expression took on a look of disbelief, tensely uncrossing his arms as his deep and informed eyes scanned the various files scattered upon the wooden desk. “You’re saying McClain has an accomplice?” he spoke.

“No,” Lotor interjected frustratingly. “Lance McClain has nothing to do with these murders. He’s another victim, and I fear that we’re too late.” 

“Okay, then,” Kolivan urged Lotor to continue. “Please, elaborate, and tell me why you have an old unsolved case on your desk.” 

Lotor cleared his throat, organizing the various papers to present them to the detective, “Ken Kogane was murdered in his own home on Christmas Day. He had a reputation of being the town drunk, which is why no one could exactly pin a specific suspect since he was hated by many. He kicked his son out at the tender age of eighteen. His name was Keith Kogane.” 

Kolivan held a hand up, signaling Lotor to end his explanation, “Don’t tell me you’re trying to accuse that poor abused boy of this heinous act. We got his alibi, and it’s proven that he’s innocent. _Hell_ , Shirogane took that boy under his wing, and I know that that officer would never let a murderer get away— no matter the situation.”

”Sir,” Lotor began. “Shirogane’s parents kicked him out at a young age as well, correct?” 

“You bet,” Kolivan confirmed. “And, he grew up to be an excellent young man with my help.” 

Lotor shifted uneasily, “And, just like Keith’s neglective father, they were murdered?” He dropped another file in front of Kolivan. This old case was unsolved as well, “I think _the Galra_ has been killing much longer than we expected.” 

Kolivan was infuriated, aged face almost taking on a pinkish red tint from the anger he felt. “Listen up,” he snarled. “If you want to keep your job, then you better take your absurd theories and toss them in the trash!”

Lotor didn’t speak another word about it. However, silently, he planned to visit Keith’s and Shiro’s lovely home.

 

* * *

 

“Help me, Keith.” Lance croaked weakly from his spot on the cold hard ground. His arms and wrists were sore from being restrained behind his back for so long, and he was sure it’s been days since he’s seen the light due to the blindfold blocking his sight.

He let out a pathetic sob when he was met with nothing but his own echo. Lance was certain that he was in a basement of some sort, evident by the seemingly stone floor and coldness that bit at his tanned skin. Occasionally, he’d hear pounding footsteps, but they always seemed to fade whenever Lance was straining to listen to any faint mumbles of conversation. Keith’s cries and screams used to ring clearly, but they’ve ceased for awhile— as if he was finally taught a lesson by Shiro’s _punishment_. 

The squeaking of a door filled the room, along with the platter of a plate against the ground. Lance could smell it, and it smelled delicious. He probably hasn’t eaten in days. He didn’t keep track of how long he’s been down here.

”Shiro.” Lance breathed out, face tilting up as if he were expecting the male to remove the blindfold. But, he didn’t. 

The older male said nothing, and all Lance heard was the sound of his footsteps fading away along with the slam of a door.

His arms were still tied behind his back, and he was incapable of doing anything. Without a choice, he was forced to get down and lay on his belly like some sort of animal as he eagerly ate from the bowl like a dog. He was so hungry that he only felt minimal embarrassment.

 

* * *

 

The next day Shiro came back. Lance begged for him to untie him, but the other was stoic and silent as he simply placed another bowl of food down in front of Lance. He left just as silently.

 

* * *

 

“Shiro, _please_.” Lance sobbed, blindfold drenched with his own tears.

No answer— just the clink of china against the floor, footsteps, and the slam of a door.

 

* * *

 

“I’ll be good!” Lance pleaded.

_Clink, footsteps, slam._

 

* * *

 

Lance stopped begging and simply resorted to begging breathlessly.

Shiro still ignored him.

 

* * *

 

This time when Lance opened his eyes, he was met with the sight of genuine grey ones staring back into his blue ones.   Shiro’s warm hand was caressing his cold cheek lovingly, and Lance never thought he’d come to enjoy the man’s touch.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so, i finally updated.

“Where’s Keith?” Lance finally mustered up the courage to ask Shiro, shackled hands slightly trembling as his hoarse voice was projected. 

Shiro paused what he was doing, which wasn’t much. Prior to his halt, he was simply enjoying Lance’s misery. He was a sick individual, but he was all had Lance at the moment. It was either Shiro’s company, or rot in this basement alone as he grew insane. Though, Lance often pondered the thought of acting out and having Shiro snap his neck, putting him out of his misery. But, the thought of his family never getting closure on him prevented him from making such a rash choice. 

“He’s been bad,” Shiro answered, approaching Lance. He chuckled darkly when the Cuban hastily scampered away from him like a scared kitten, attempting to push himself into the wall as if it would do _something_. In the end, Lance could only pathetically push his back against the wall to avoid inhaling even more of Shiro’s hot breath. _That’s_ how close he was. “But, you’ve been bad too. Oh, Lance, you’re a bad influence.” From this distance, Lance could clearly see each and every crack within Shiro’s skin, how full his eyelashes really were, and the sinister look that rested in his _deceiving_ grey eyes. 

Shiro continued to speak as his thumb swiped along Lance’s chapped bottom lip, “I should just get rid of you. I _can_ get rid of you so easily.” His hand closed around Lance’s throat, not quite hard enough to snap it but hard enough to cut off air, “I can snap your pathetic little neck, and you would no longer be a pain in my ass.” 

Lance choked, eyes watering as Shiro’s hand eventually tightened. This man intended for him to die a slow and torturous death, didn’t he? His hands were incapable of pushing at Shiro’s hands, and dark spots were beginning to litter Lance’s vision. Shiro only watched with a wicked gleam in his gaze and an interested tilt of his head. 

“There’s something about you, McClain,” the officer released his grasp on Lance, watching as he crumpled to the ground in a fit of coughs and sharp inhalations. “I don’t know if it’s just your pretty face or the fact that I knew we were destined from the moment I laid eyes on you. You’re beautiful— _exquisite_.” 

“I hate you,” Lance said lowly, voice nearly a growl as he rejected Shiro’s gentle touches against his cheek. “I hate you, I hate you, I hate you! You son of a bitch, I fucking hate you!” It seemed as if Lance reached his breaking point. He fought against his restraints in an almost animalistic way, the sound of metal scraping against metal filling the cold room. His head slammed back against the brick wall as he let out a loud sob, “I hate you _so_ much.” Angry tears spilled from his eyes as he frustratingly tried to blink them away to continue glaring at Shiro. 

“That’s fine,” the older male didn’t seem to flinch at his words. In fact, he didn’t even seem angry. A _satisfied_ smile grew on his face. “Because, you _will_ love me. _More_ than you love Keith.” He was now somewhat distanced from Lance, but still uncomfortably close. “Y’know, Lance,” Shiro began. “I went over to your family’s house for questioning about your disappearance. And, your sister— Veronica— she’s _gorgeous_. Or, _was_ gorgeous. I wish I was the lucky bastard that got to put their hands on her.” 

That pushed Lance over the edge. If he wasn’t tempted to strangle Shiro before, now he definitely was. With a growl that definitely didn’t sound Lance, the Cuban was launching himself at Shiro as far as his chains took him. Luckily, Shiro was still close. His attack was followed by a series of scratches and hits that his bound hands allowed him to do. Lance never thought he would enjoy the sight of blood spilling from Shiro’s skin, and the thought of being just like the bastard made his stomach turn. 

During the struggle, a knife managed to clatter from Shiro’s pocket. It laid on the floor like a shining treasure, and Lance realized: _this was his chance_. He stretched for the knife, grabbing it and jabbing it out towards Shiro. Adrenaline rushed in his veins, and for a moment, the chains didn’t feel restricting at all. A pained howl escaped Shiro when the blade knocked the bridge of his nose, creating a horizontal gash that spilled a significant amount of blood. Lance raised the knife for the killing blow that was directed at Shiro’s heart, but he was unable to.

Shiro managed to recover rather quickly, strong hands grabbing at Lance’s wrists. He pushed them away easily and caused Lance to drop the knife. “You little bitch,” he shouted, reaching for the knife himself. “I’m going to gut you like a fucking fish!”

There was no stopping him this time. Lance went way too far, and Keith wasn’t here. Lance allowed his eyes to drift shut and held his tongue. The pain never came. Instead, Lance was jolting at the sound of the doorbell followed by a series of knocks.

Before Lance could scream as loud as he could, a strong hand clamped down onto his mouth, successfully cutting off the noise and reducing it to nothing but a pathetic breath. Shiro’s hand smelled of blood that was never quite washed away completely. 

”You’re a lucky bastard.” Shiro said breathlessly, stuffing a rough cloth into Lance’s mouth then retreated back up the stairs.

 

* * *

 

Lotor tapped his foot impatiently against the wooden porch, arms crossed as he tried to shield himself from the autumn wind. He could practically taste the arrival of winter.

He glanced at his rather expensive watch, which was a gift from his loathed father, a few times. Whoever was inside was taking a long time to answer. Sighing, he was about to leave, but froze when the handle clicked and the entrance swung open. 

“Detective,” Shiro had a welcoming smile on his face. “What brings you around?” 

Lotor arched an eyebrow at his disheveled appearance, narrowed eyes examining the bandage strip that laid horizontally across his nose bridge. The wound must’ve been fresh, because blood was already beginning to sleep through the white material.

”The investigation,” Lotor responded, stepping forward to place his foot in the doorway as if he was letting himself in. He noticed the way Shiro tried to block him from entering. “May I come in?” 

“Isn’t the investigation only appropriate to talk about in the workplace? Besides, I don’t think Keith would want to hear about the  _gruesome_ details..”

Lotor laughed bitterly, “How weak of a stomach do you think your lover has, Shirogane? You underestimate him.” 

The officer budged just a bit as Lotor essentially forced himself in. “Kolivan sent me,” the detective supplied, and that had Shiro giving in. “ _Thank you_.” 

This was a foreign territory; Lotor has never been inside Shiro’s home. Honestly, he expected it to be a bit more clean. Instead, it was a mess, as if no one’s been tending to it for days or weeks. Dishes and glasses remained strewn about the coffee table, newspapers and magazines laid carelessly around the couch and floor. The TV was on, volume unnaturally loud. 

“Would you turn that down?” Lotor asked, agitated as he sat himself down at the somewhat clean dining table. It was a shame. If this place were cleaner, it would be decent.

With a clenched jaw, Shiro turned it down a notch. “Would you like anything to drink?” he questioned, but Lotor shook his head and refused.

”I’m just here to talk.” Lotor told him, and Shiro nodded, taking a seat in front of the detective. A moment of silence passed before he sparked up the conversation once more. “You know what strikes me as peculiar, Shirogane?” Lotor continued, “You and Keith.” 

Shiro cracked a smile, “What about us?” 

“It’s just.. You two appear to be a perfect match? I suppose you two would do anything for each other, even _kill_ ,” the long-haired man spoke, a tone of knowingness dripping from his words. “Hell, the both of you had your parents murdered. I sincerely apologize for your loss, and I’m sure you two comforted each other during it all.” 

“Where are you going with this?” 

Lotor’s aura seemed to shift within seconds, hand splaying flat against the smooth glass surface of the dining table, “Don’t play dumb with me, _Takashi_.” A cocky and condescending smile broke out on his face, “The murder of your parents, the mysterious disappearance of the data McClain put together, McClain going missing, Allura being _murdered_ , and the murder weapon belonging to Keith Kogane’s lost mother— that can’t all be coincidental. You can’t tell me none of this is connected. Trust me, I’ve seen that look in your eyes whenever you got to spend _any_ time with Lance.”

”What the hell are you talking about?” Shiro demanded, “Are you accusing me of being a killer?” 

“No, not at all,” Lotor said. “I’m accusing you _and_ your boyfriend.” 

Shiro remained silent. 

“You don’t have anything to say, you sick bastard?” Lotor prodded, tempting Shiro. 

“No, you’re _crazy,_ ” Shiro laughed breathlessly. “Even if Keith and I were somehow the supposed murderers, what evident do you have? It seemed to have _disappeared_ mysteriously, like you said. What a shame.” A wicked grin took over his features.

Lotor nearly growled, the sound of the wooden chair screeching against the wooden floor as he stood up abruptly, “Then, I’ll find some fucking evidence!” 

“You don’t have a warrant.” Shiro informed him boredly. 

“I don’t need one.” Lotor argued, stomping about the messy home. He went through bookshelves, stacks of papers, closets, and during it all Shiro remained seated. 

Shiro sighed heavily, “You’ve always been jealous of me, haven't you, Lotor? Is that why you’re doing this? Even though you have a higher rank than me, the entire department knows it’s just because your father is governor. Kolivan— well, he favors _me_. Are you trying to get him to demote me, or something?” 

“I’m trying to put you behind bars for everything you’ve done,” Lotor turned to glare at him. “Innocent people, _Shirogane_ , all those people you killed were innocent!” 

“He called me his son,” Shiro continued mercilessly. “Told me that I was the son he never had and that I deserved a higher position. Lotor, you’ve looked up to Kolivan ever since you were little, right?” 

Whatever mind games Shiro was trying to employ wasn’t going to work. “Shut up.” Lotor huffed, standing still as he tried to _think_.

”I’m sorry that you’ve never been good enough, detective,” Shiro said, a false sense of pity coating his words. “I’m sorry that no one ever loved you. Your father is a powerful and great man, but you were a mistake, correct? That’s why he treats you like you’re nothing but scum— nothing but a son made from a poor woman during a one night stand. Wasn’t her name Honerva? And, wasn’t she a prostitute? Your father paid her off to keep it all a secret, and she accepted. But, she died from an overdose and you were left alone. Then, your father took pity and _this_ is how he’s trying to repay for it all— by buying your love.” His strong tone never faltered, “I can do research too, Detective.” 

The officer stood up with a prideful smirk, “Nothing to say?” He was _mocking_ Lotor, “I didn’t think so. _Now_ , let me disappear for a bit to make drinks. You _really_ do need one.” He vanished into the kitchen, not sparing Lotor another glance.  

Lotor took a heavy step, ready to wrap his hands around Shiro’s unsuspecting neck, but froze when a hollow noise emitted from the movement. His gaze flickered to the kitchen arch, then he crouched down and peeled the rug away when he was sure Shiro was occupied. _A trap door_.

Cautiously, he managed to get it open, peering into a dark abyss of nothing. With his hand, he managed to feel the cold surface of concrete stairs. He held his breath and descended into the darkness. He heard something shuffling within the unknown. 

His hand trailed along the wall once he got to the bottom of the steps, catching on a light switch. Light flooded the basement, and Lotor was finally able to see clearly.

At his feet was a quivering male, who he identified as Lance McClain. Muffled whimpers and cries escaped him as he desperately tried to break free from his restraints. His ankle was swollen and dark, probably meaning that it was broken but never healed properly. His eyes were red from crying, and he wasn’t even dressed properly. He was wearing provocative lingerie, which made Lotor’s stomach twist. _This poor boy_. And, when he stepped closer, he could see the unmistakable sight of initials carved into his leg. He didn’t even want to fully see the ones peeking out on his chest. 

“Hey, it’s okay,” Lotor hushed Lance, crouching down to work on the shackles. “I’m here to help you. I’m not gonna hurt you, Lance.” He pulled the rough gag out from the Cuban’s mouth, immediately covering it when he realized he would sob loudly. 

“I need you to be quiet,” Lotor said lowly. “I promise I’m going to get you out of here, but we can’t let Shiro know I found you.” 

"Is Hunk okay?” Lance whispered shakily.

Lotor nodded, “He is, but he’s worried about you.” The chains wouldn’t be coming off unless he had the keys. He reached into his pocket for his phone, but a feeling of dread passed over him when he found it empty. His cellphone was still in his car. He went to stand up, but Lance’s fearful gaze stopped him from doing so. 

“I’m going to be right back.” he assured him, and Lance nodded to show he understood. 

Lotor held the male’s hand tightly for more reassurance, then stood up to make his way up the stairs once more. But, when he finally reached the top, he was met with the feeling of cold steel colliding with his head as he lost the capacity to do anything. All he could do was stumble down the stairs as he began to lose consciousness, blackness seeping into his vision. He was laying on the hard concrete, but could do nothing but lay ther helplessly.

The last image he saw before fully losing consciousness was Lance’s horror-stricken face.


	12. Chapter 12

Lotor stirred awake with a blinding pain that forced him to keep his eyes shut. The room he was in wasn’t bright; it was cold and desolate— or that’s what it _seemed_ to be. He swore that he could hear faint whispers and murmurs, _unless_ it was just part of his imagination. After all, his head had been hit pretty hard, evident by the way the back of it throbbed. 

Finally, his eyes opened and he was able to regain focus on his surroundings. He definitely was in a basement of some sort, probably the same one Shiro was keeping Lance.

A chill spread throughout Lotor’s body at the sudden realization. He recalled Lance being in here when he came to his rescue, but now he was nowhere to be seen. Lotor’s gaze flickered across the room, sight limited since he was strapped down to a chair. Both his feet and hands were bound with rough rope that cut into his skin.

”Come out, you bastards!” the harsh words were directed towards Shiro and Keith. Though, they probably couldn’t hear him, “The rest of the police force is on their way. It’d be wise to let me go and give me Lance right now.” _Of course_ , that was a big fat lie. 

Lotor kept this meeting a secret, not wanting for Kolivan to catch wind of his plans. If Kolivan did find out, Lotor was sure his job would be taken from him. The senior detective told him not to meddle with Shiro and Keith, but Lotor’s gut pulled him towards the peculiar couple. And, fortunately, his gut was right— but, now Lotor found himself in an unfortunate predicament. Surely, Shiro wouldn’t dare to harm Lotor. 

At least that’s what he thought.

 

* * *

 

It’s been a while since Lance was able to see actual light. He’s gotten used to the small crack of sunlight that spilled from the minuscule gap that Shiro considered a _window_.

He was on a bed— that’s what he deduced judging by the cushion he felt beneath his lithe yet aching body. Unfortunately, his hands were still tied beneath his back. They were beginning to feel numb due to the amount of time they’d been restrained. Lotor was somewhere in the house, Lance remembered, and he was certain Shiro was planning to get rid of him. 

Lance’s breath hitched when he heard the doorknob twist, struggling to distance himself from the opening entrance. Shiro was going to be angry— Shiro was going to think that Lance somehow _contacted_ Lotor, and he was going to punish him. 

“ _Lance_.” 

The voice unmistakingly belonged to Shiro, his tone low and dangerous. Shivers coursed throughout Lance’s body as he thought about what Shiro would do to him. They already mutilated Lance’s skin— they wouldn’t stop there. Lance squirmed, wrists flexing against the rough rope used to constrain him. He wouldn’t let Shiro hurt him again. _No_ , he didn’t want to be hurt— to feel the hot bright pain that blossomed throughout his body whenever Shiro brought the edge of a blade down onto his body or slammed his hand down to hit him.

”Lance, I said calm down!” Shiro barked at him, and suddenly he was atop of Lance, hand gripping at Lance’s body to keep him still, “You’re _hurting_ yourself.” The older sighed heavily, “I’m not going to hurt you— I was just checking on you. Lotor scared you, didn’t he? You didn’t want to be taken away.” That rough hand that he grew to fear was stroking the soft strands of his brown hair, fingers occasionally sinking deeper to massage his scalp in a loving manner. “But, you don’t have to worry,” Shiro whispered. “Keith and I will always protect you. We’ll never let anyone take you away. You’re so important— so _loved_.” 

“Loved?” Lance’s voice quivered as he began to relax against Shiro’s unusually gentle touch. 

Shiro’s mouth twisted into a smile, “We’ll be together forever.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so, i had a really tough time pumping this chapter out. plus, i’ve been busy! that explains why this is so short and bad. i’ll try to do better next time, but there’s no guarantee! <3 thank you for reading and giving kudos!


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